Inside the Dragon Palace, the atmosphere in the solemn and majestic hall felt somewhat different from usual.
King Neptune sat on his throne, his gaze heavy with sorrow.
His trident stood beside him, shimmering with a cold light.
Queen Otohime stood quietly beside him, her face gentle but her eyes revealing an unprecedented determination.
Below the hall, Arlong and his men were bound and escorted before the fish-men.
Every fish-man guard gripped their weapons tightly, their faces a mixture of anger and suppressed emotions.
Today, Fish-Man Island would face a fateful trial.
Jinbei stood to the side of the hall, arms crossed, calmly observing everything.
He could feel the complex emotions surging in the air, anger, unease, anticipation, and anxiety intertwined, as if everyone was waiting for some kind of torrent about to erupt.
"Arlong."
Neptune's voice came from the throne, deep and intimidating.
His gaze was like a sharp sword, staring directly at Arlong, his eyes filled with painful memories of past crimes and the determination to carry out justice.
"You were once a guardian of Fish-Man Island, and should have protected its residents, but now you have betrayed your people, poisoned your compatriots, and even attempted to overthrow the order of Fish-Man Island."
"Do you know your crime?!"
Arlong raised his head, a mocking sneer on his face.
"Know my crime?" He chuckled, his eyes full of disdain and contempt.
"I was just doing what needed to be done for the fish-men. You weaklings would rather kneel before the World Government and beg for mercy than resist! You are not worthy to rule Fish-Man Island!"
A commotion erupted in the hall as Arlong's arrogant words ignited the anger in the hearts of many fish-men.
Jinbei frowned slightly, he could feel Arlong trying to use these words to incite some fish-men who were dissatisfied with Otohime, but he knew that what Fish-Man Island needed most at this moment was not violent resistance, but unity and reason.
Queen Otohime stepped forward, her voice gentle but firm: "Arlong, I understand your anger. But this is not the path to our future. Hatred and violence will only take us further away from our dreams."
"Do you really believe that the future of Fish-Man Island can be achieved through slaughter and hatred?"
A trace of wavering flashed in Arlong's eyes, but he quickly regained his coldness.
He roared loudly: "This is reality! As long as humans exist, we will always be oppressed at the bottom of the sea, living like slaves!"
Otohime's hand trembled slightly, but she still stared firmly at Arlong: "No, we have other choices. Peaceful coexistence, understanding and tolerance, are our hope for the future."
Her gaze swept across the entire hall, as if conveying her beliefs to all the fish-men.
Her voice, though gentle, seemed particularly powerful in the solemn hall, "I don't want our children to live in the shadow of hatred, they should walk freely in the sunlight."
Shirahoshi stood behind Otohime, silently watching her mother, her eyes filled with admiration and approval.
Jinbei glanced at her, this innocent and pure child, now understood the weight of responsibility and choice.
Neptune tapped his trident, symbolizing the end of the trial.
"Arlong, your actions are beyond redemption."
"Today's trial represents that Fish-Man Island will embark on a new path." His voice was low and powerful, with an unquestionable determination, "From today onwards, we will carry out reforms to ensure that every fish-man can live in light and peace."
"And those of you who attempt to change everything through violence and hatred will ultimately receive the punishment you deserve."
Arlong still stared fixedly at Neptune, his eyes burning with insane rage.
However, his struggle seemed pale and powerless at this moment.
He had once tried to use violence and hatred to subvert the order of Fish-Man Island, but today, all of this would be ended by justice and reason.
Jinbei slowly walked up to Arlong, looking down at him, the corner of his mouth slightly raised: "You failed, Arlong. Fish-Man Island will not be destroyed by hatred. The future of light has been personally lit by Neptune and Otohime."
The fish-men in the hall gradually quieted down, they looked at Jinbei and Neptune, their anger replaced by a new hope.
Although the future was full of challenges, at this moment, they had already seen the dawn.
After Neptune and the others announced the verdict, Jinbei slowly stood up.
All eyes in the hall instantly focused on him.
He could feel the invisible hostility around him, as if the air had become much heavier.
The gazes of those fish-men and merfolk were mixed with distrust, indifference, and even rejection.
As a human, he was always an outsider here.
And Arlong's inciting words had already ignited the flames of hatred in the hearts of these fish-men, it was normal for them to be hostile to him, a human.
Jinbei's movements were unhurried, but there was an undeniable air of composure.
He slowly scanned the surroundings, those hostile gazes met his, as if they were being pressed down by an invisible pressure.
No one spoke, and no one attacked proactively, as if they were waiting for Jinbei's next words or next move.
"I know that some of you don't trust me," he said calmly, his voice low but with an undeniable power.
His every word seemed to penetrate the hostility in the air, directly striking the hearts of the listeners, "You may even think that I am no different from those pirates and nobles who have hurt Fish-Man Island because I am human."
The hall remained silent, only the occasional sound of breathing echoing in the empty space.
Jinbei continued: "Arlong just mentioned the hatred between humans and fish-men."
"That's right, this hatred does exist, and it cannot be eliminated in a short period of time. Humans have brought much pain and humiliation to Fish-Man Island, I cannot deny these things."
"That's why, as a human, I stand here today, not to shirk responsibility, but to give a promise."
His words struck everyone's hearts like a heavy hammer, the expressions of the audience gradually changed from anger to doubt, and even a little expectation.
They did not understand why Jinbei, the Marine Admiral in front of them, could still be so calm and composed in such a hostile atmosphere, and even willing to stand up and speak out.
Jinbei smiled slightly, his gaze firm and steady: "The future of Fish-Man Island should not only be built on the basis of hatred. Queen Otohime's advocacy of coexistence is not because she is naive, but because she understands that this is the only way to get out of the darkness and move towards the light."
He walked to Otohime and Neptune, bowed slightly to show respect, then raised his head to look at the audience: "I, Jinbei, as a human, as an Admiral, promise to do everything in my power for the peaceful coexistence of Fish-Man Island. Not all of the human world is as full of malice as Arlong described, and there are quite a few who are willing to coexist peacefully with the fish-men. I stand here today to prove this point."
As soon as he finished speaking, low voices of discussion could not help but be heard in the audience, and some fish-men's expressions gradually changed from hostility to complexity. They were not completely convinced, but Jinbei's attitude made them begin to waver.
Jinbei's heart was calm, he understood that such hostility could not be eliminated overnight, but this step had to be taken.
His gaze swept across the hall again, his eyes firm: "The relationship between Fish-Man Island and the human world will depend on the choices of each of us. Hatred does not solve problems, it will only make everything worse. And we stand here today to break this cycle."
His voice was steady and full of power, "I believe that whether we are fish-men or humans, we all yearn for a more peaceful future, we will not succumb to hatred, but choose understanding, tolerance and cooperation."
At the moment his voice fell, the air in the entire hall seemed to loosen up.
Those once hostile gazes gradually softened, and some fish-men lowered their heads, as if reflecting on their hearts.
Queen Otohime looked at Jinbei, her eyes revealing sincere gratitude and hope.
She knew that the future of Fish-Man Island might really be changed because of this moment today.
Neptune also nodded, a rare hint of relief and determination on his face.
"No matter what happens in the future, I will remember this promise today." Neptune's voice was low but firm, "The reform of Fish-Man Island will officially begin today, and we will never retreat."
Jinbei looked at them, nodded slightly, and the sense of responsibility in his heart became heavier.
He knew that he still had a long way to go, but at least, today, he had brought a glimmer of hope to this island shrouded in hatred.
...
...
